Maroon
by Ioik
Summary: A long journey brings a greater understanding of herself and some new found friends.
1. Chapter 1 Zephire

**Chapter 1 Zephire**

She looked out a small port window, grey with exhaustion, sliding an impatient finger back and forth along the cold seal between herself and the vacuum of space. The room she sat within was cramped, to say the least, and wreaked of stale air and even staler people. A dim red light hovering above a door way giving off an eerie glow to the otherwise dark space.

_Why am I doing this again? _She solemnly thought pulling her knees together and hugging them tightly. _Because it's better than the military? Because it's better than doing nothing? Because it's a job?_

"Right." The woman retorted her own thoughts and scowled at the endless night outside.

_How boring. I thought space was supposed to be exciting. Brimming with life and adventure. Seems pretty dead and quiet to me._

A rogue snore emitted from a pile of old blankets nearby, catching the woman's bored attention for a moment, before ruffling and returning to silence. She'd been curious of the bundles occupant for some time, five days in fact, and found hours of amusement trying to fathom its species, name and story. She had come to decide it was a male, by the snoring, and probably a batarian because she knew nothing about the species and whatever could sleep for almost a week and not move was not one of the species she did know about. She also decided his name was something interesting like, Rogflurt Noriscat the fifth, and he'd escaped from human slavers after eighteen years of service to return to his home planet where he was a Prince and heir to a big shiny throne. It was also decided after breakfast yesterday morning, Rogflurt, had thirty wives, three hundred children and six monkey like pets and some magical orb.

"What are you doing?" A voice from the doorway broke the brooding silence. "You're not thinking about it again are you?"

"Rogflurt? No." The woman looked up at the doorway spotting a pair of glowing green eyes attached to a dark shadowy figure.

"Good. Its not a healthy pass time, even for a human." A turian stepped forward into the glowing red light and offered a three-fingered hand. "Oriel told me to come get you. She's starting up another board game and we need two more players."

"I see." She jumped to her feet immediately, pondering about how devilish the turian looked in the current lighting, and dusted her clothes loose of dirt before following the clattering steps of the turian into the darkness.

___________________________________

"Good, good, you're here." A young asari, hunched over a table placing pieces on a board, watched as her latest victims entered the little mess hall. "I'm just setting up. Take a seat, take a seat."

"What's the game today, Oriel?" An intrigued volus already sitting around the table, queried the busying asari, hoping it was another gambling game like the night before.

"Star wars Risk! I found it in an antiques store at our last stop over."

"Does it involve gambling?"

"Hun, is that all you ever think about?"

"I am a volus."

"It's a strategy game. You need to conquer all the planets on the board and build an army."

"Finally. A game I can respect." The turian pulled up a chair and took his place around the table.

"I thought you enjoyed Dungeons and Dragons last week."

"That game was fine until the ninth hour of playing."

"I liked poker."

"Yes we know Hun." Oriel was beginning to look a little flustered.

"You also seemed to like our credits as I recall." The turian added.

"I admit, that was one of my favourite parts to the game and don't think I have forgotten about those 20 credits you owe me, Zephire."

"Don't you worry, barefaced, I always repay my debts."

The human women giggled quietly, to herself, and sat in the only seat yet to be occupied. A bright amber light hung over the table flooding their eyes and creating shadows around the edges of the room. The entire vessel felt like a ghost ship, though she never felt worried of the monsters in the dark. They were normally quite friendly after all, just _lonely_.

"I wish to be the pink pieces." Oriel looked up and smiled at the human opposite her, before smoothing the front of her pink cocktail dress, and sat gentile like upon her chair.

"Well there's something new."

"Oh do be quiet, Hun. Zephire?"

"I suppose I'll be the grey robots with the mortars."

"That leaves the orange earth clan or the green… uh Krogans?" The volus prodded a green monster experimentally and sighed.

"Actually, according to the booklet, those are 'The Hutts'."

"And what exactly is a 'Hutt', Oriel?"

"How should I know."

"Well you are the local earth clan enthusiast."

"That doesn't mean I should know simply _everything_ that has popped into the human species mind. "

"Well what am I?" Zephire stared accusingly at one of his own pieces.

"'The Empire'"

"Ah, good."

"Actually, that's bad. According to the booklet, 'The empire' is lead by the villainous Darth Vader who is attempting to crush 'The rebellion'- that would be you dear."

"Oh. Ok." The human woman accepted her little orange human pieces, the volus clutching eagerly at his own green monsters.

"- and take over the galaxy." The asari finished.

"Hmm, methodical destruction of the enemies military in order to secure the galaxy. I still don't see anything wrong with _my_ pieces."

"Good, good. Shall we begin?"

"Wait! What are the rules?"

"Ah, I knew I had forgotten something!"

__________________________________

_That, was fascinating._

The human woman strolled the dark corridor, able to navigate it with her eyes closed after much practice, working her way back towards the gloomy bunk quarters. She felt relaxed wrapped in the ships silence; the engines gentle hum a reassuring background noise, so much so she almost wished to never arrive at her destination. However, the stuffy smell and uncomfortable sleeping arrangements, and the lack of hot water in the shower, forbade those thoughts with conviction.

"But it would be nice to live quietly." She smiled, wrapping her arms about her chest and clutching at the opposite shoulders, sauntering on in a daze.

"What? Were you talking to me?"

The women paused in her stride, realizing someone else was with her in the pitch-black corridor. A light source came into sight, almost blinding her from the sudden change it brought to the darkness, its bearer appearing from a shaft in the wall.

"Oh its just you." The human man looked her up and down despondently before lowering the light bringing them back into semi-darkness. "You shouldn't be walking the corridors in the dark. Especially down here, there's junk all over the floor. The captain won't be happy if he gets a bad reputation for one of the passengers cracking their heads and dying."

"I see."

"No, I don't think you do."

The woman giggled quietly into her cupped hands, the male worker nodding a response to his humours appreciation, though really he meant it as insult rather than jest.

"The ships coming into dock in twelve hours, you'll be leaving us along with the rest of the cargo there I take it." The worker accepted the woman's silent nod. "Bet you're looking forward to it. Civilization again."

"I guess."

"Must have been lonely down here on your own all this time."

"Not really."

"Not much of a talker are you?" Again the man accepted her silent headshake. "I can tell. Well get back to the bunks, till I finish fixing this power line. I'll even fix the corridor lights for you, so you can exit in style."

"Thank you." The woman tugged at her sleeves timidly, nodding once more, and walked slowly towards the bunk quarters yet again.

"Don't thank me for my job. I get paid!"

________________________________________

Pulling a bag down from a top bunk the woman began, once again, filling it with her life's contents. There wasn't much of it, clothes and a few books, just enough things to fill a medium sized bag. A turian would have been proud, of its sparse efficiency, and a turian was.

"You're leaving us?"

The woman nudged her head to look side long at those glowing green eyes, apart of a form shroud in darkness.

"Yes. The ships arriving at my stop in less than twelve hours."

"So soon. I was beginning to tolerate your company, human."

"I'm sorry."

"No need to apologize to me. What am I to you."

"A kindred spirit perhaps."

The turian scoffed, leaning against the door opening, and thought back the laughter.

"You don't need to be so mean, Zephire. I already know."

"You know what? That we are one of the same? Would friends be your next, incorrect, statement?"

"What happened to your Zephire?"

"Since when?"

"Zephire, I am not stupid. I know you're not here. Not really."

"Then where am I? Where could I possibly be but here? Outside in a space vacuum perhaps?"

"Is that what happened? Lost in space?"

The turian's eyes narrowed, watching her with a primal rage, his body becoming rigid as he stood up straight to his full height. A low growl filled the room; she couldn't deny the fear that crept up her spine, the hairs on the back of her neck rising sharply. For a moment she absolutely believed he would attack her, mentally preparing for the assault, but as time slowly passed the growl decreased.

Folding his arms, the turian dug his talons into his own skin, as he began to calm. Those, normally bright, emerald eyes becoming old and tired looking,

"I was a soldier in the conquering fleet of Shanxi, during the Relay 314 incident. When Admiral Kastanie Drescher brought the, System alliance, second fleet to liberate the human colony the ship I served on was one of the first destroyed. I survived the vessels destruction with a few others sucked out into space still wearing our armour. The battle went on, we waited for rescue, watching our air supplies dwindle as we floated further and further out into space." Zephire paused looking up at the human, for the first time during his monologue, her own eyes down downcast as she gripped the side of the top bunk listening intently. "The battle was over and survivors were being scooped up. All from my own ship were salvaged, but me. I floated out to far and… suffocated."

She watched as he softly touched his throat, remembering his last sensation.

"I'm sorry." Was all she could manage.

"It wasn't your fault. It was nobodies. Just rotten luck."

"Then why are you lingering here? If you have no regrets, I mean."

"Oh I have regrets, human. I spent years out there floating in endless space thinking about them, driving myself crazy. Then…"

"Then?"

"I don't know how to explain it. There was a tingling feeling, a light, and something began to pull at me or I was drawn to it as if magnetised. I found my way here, then you saw me and I simply remembered my form." The turian flourished a hand to encapsulate the general length of his current body. "It's been good to be turian again. I forgot about too much out there in the void."

"Anyone would." The woman whispered, walking slow towards the turian, draping her arms around him and embracing.

"I…" He gave in completely to her gesture, slumping his shoulders, wrapping his own arms around her like a warm blanket. "…wish I could go home. I miss my brother and our parents. I regret not taking the special-ops training when it was offered and being to afraid to court Trilvalor when I had the chance."

"You just lost your way for a long time. Home is still within reach. Go home."

Zephire stood stock-still and silent, lost deep in thought, before sighing deeply. He stood back from the human, staring resolutely into his green eyes, before nodding.

"I understand."

"I'm glad." She smiled, fighting back tears.

"Before I leave."

"Yes?"

"May… I visit you?"

"Of course. But not whilst I'm in the bathroom please, that gets quite annoying."

"Understandably so." They chuckled briefly. "I suppose this is goodbye, for now."

"Yes. Good luck."

"Thank you."

Zephire stood to attention and saluted his human comrade, giving her a cheeky wink, before fading out of sight.

_I promise not to watch you undress either._

"I should damn well hope so to!"


	2. Chapter 2 Oriel

**Sorry for being three days late. My MAC is being repaired so I had to share the PC with my hubby. One chapter left of this short.**

**---------------------------------------------------------**

**Chapter 2 Oriel**

"He's gone?"

The young asari announced her presence with a question, tracing the edges of the woman's room with a critical air, and paused briefly to grimace at the snoring pile of blankets.

The human gave a sigh, as she watched the bottom of the bunk above her own, before kicking her feet over the side of the hard antique bed letting them drape to the floor before sitting upright.

"Yes." She rubbed at her tired eyes. "He's gone home."

"I'll miss his presence at our evening games." Oriel flattened her dress before sitting crossed legged beside her human companion. "But it's for the best. A lot of anger was within that one."

"Hmmm."

"We shall see him again no doubt. I rather think he took a fancy to me." The young alien giggled opaquely into the open hand placed delicately in front of her soft lips. "Perhaps that is why Hun shunned him so."

The human woman smiled discreetly as she watched her hands slide back and forth over the edge of her knees. It was difficult to tell if Oriel was trying to be humorous, or generally believed certain ideas, but she enjoyed her company more than sufficient to ignore any oddities the blue one might have.

"But enough of my fancy men. I heard some of the crew on the deck above mention we are to arrive soon." Oriel ran her hand across the woman's hair creating a buzz in the human's skull. "Perhaps I shall find some new collectable but I do not 'hold my breath'. It is too alien a place."

"Have you been there before?"

"Oh yes! Hasn't _everyone_ of my species?" The young asari jumped to her feet, making her human friend start, before twirling like a ballerina. "The asari are the _culture_ of the galaxy."

"I see."

"It is a lively place full of wonder and many, many, many boring turians."

"You don't like turians?"

"Pah! They are a species too stern and set in their ways." Oriel grabbed her hands behind her back and began to rock back and forth on her heels dreamily. "Though there was one young turian that had a soft spot for me."

The young asari almost threw herself back onto the bed, giggling like a school girl, and leaned forward till she was inches from the humans face.

The woman didn't know whether to back away or stay put, but the asari was often crazed in her forms of communiqué.

"I remember it like it was only last year." Oriels face spread into a worrisomely wide grin hidden behind a lightly clenched hand. "I had just had my fifty sixth birthday and as a treat I decided to go on a grand tour of the cultural highlights of the galaxy. I'd just arrived at the port of my last stop over, saving the best for last, when this _mean_ salarian pushed into me. Almost knocked me off the side of the platform, if it hadn't of been for my turian hero, I might have fallen to my death or something worse."

"Something wor-" The human woman began in a shocked tone of voice before remembering whom she was talking to and thinking quickly for a recovery. "-se is that they didn't have any railings."

"Railings? What?" Oriel moved away from her human friend a moment to give her a full body hesitant look over.

"Too… uh… protect visitors from falling off of the edge."

"Oh yes. I see what you mean. Well anyway," The young asari leaned forward until she was uncomfortably close once more and began her monologue with reignited fervour. "my turian hero rescued me from a life threatening peril and I couldn't simply allow that to go un-repaid, so I did as any asari would, and offered to meld with him."

The human could not react quick enough to prevent her eyes from automatically widening followed sharply by her jaw dropping paired with the sound of, 'uh?'. Thankfully the asari seemed too caught up, in her-own recounting of an alien romance story, to notice the social blunder.

"He oddly called over for a medic to check on me for a concussion." Oriel giggled. "I kept telling him I hadn't hit my head but he was adamant I be looked at by a '_professional_'. Young men can be so silly but he was a chivalrous one. Perhaps that's why I took such a shine to him.

I spent the next week visiting his abysmal office and offering to take him to lunch, dinner, supper, breakfast, you name it. But this one, my turian hero, was always to busy with important rescuing of other individuals. So thoughtful was my Detective.

I finally realized where I was going wrong after the eighth day. He could not be moved from his paperwork when not on patrol or whatever it was he was doing, so I decided to bring the romantic soirée to him."

"You made him dinner." The human smiled at the romantic gesture, before having her assumption corrected.

"Well not me personally. I ordered out of course. I share little talent in the preparation of fodder."

"Oh, I see."

"So, I arrived at his office, with the provisions, but he wasn't there. Out on some errand no doubt, but I knew this would be the perfect moment. He would come back from his mission, tired and hungry and I would be his saviour, bringing to him what he needed most. Aubernal Gorish with toothel salad and a bottle of Brinsket 5021. Very good year." Oriel flailed an eccentric hand. "It was two maybe three hours before my turian arrived. I was dreadfully hungered by the time he appeared and somewhat irritable, though not as irritable as he.

Upon entrance at his office he gave me a deep sunken scowl with those in cast eyes of his then moved behind his desk and began shuffling papers deliberately.

'It's you again.' He huffed. 'I hoped you would take the polite hint by now.'

'I took the hint well enough young turian.' I refrained. 'If you will not come to the mountain, then the mountain shall come to you.'

He seemed rather intrigued at my statement before demanding to know what I was doing placing my belongings on his '_meticulous'_ desk. That is when I got my moment to shine, opening the containers of heated food and bringing forth means to eat with.

'This would be the meal I have been longing for you to share with me for the past week.' I told him.

'I am far too busy with paperwork to entertain your frivolous needs, asari.' His cold words burned my fluttering heart but I still could not let our love story end before its completion.

'If wishing for you to be fed and well energized to complete your work is frivolous then frivolous I am.' I felt tears begin to burn at my eyes. 'But perhaps it is not your fault for being so cold. You carry little room for love.'

'Love?' he scoffed. 'What would an asari know of love? No, that is too harsh upon your species. I have known asari with integrity that your promiscuous attitude would not care to possess.'"

"Asshole." The human cocked her head and stared bemusedly into the middle distance.

"Did you say something?" The male engineers form protruded from the door way into the darkened quarters.

"Oh, no. Nothing." The woman stuttered, rising to her feet, beginning to fiddle with her meagre belongs inside their bag.

"I could of sworn you called me an '_asshole_' little miss." An annoyed foot tapping followed the sound of the man's irritated voice.

"I…" She glanced side long at the gruff looking engineer, grasping the air for words of explanation, a note of panic forcing her hands to tremble.

"Well wouldn't be the first time some bodies called me an asshole today." He huffed. "I've fixed the corridor lights. Make yourself scarce while I fix the lights in here."

"Yes, ok."

"Go on now. Get." The man ushered her from the bunk room. "Shoo."

__________________

Leaning around the open door way, leading into the mess hall, the young human woman spotted the known figure of a volus about business. It was somewhat strange for her to see him without any of the others around the table, playing some strange board game Oriel had recently acquired.

"What are you doing?"

"What does it look like earth clan?"

"Um, well…"

"Stocks! Shares!" Hun waved an impatient hand to beckon her closer. "You understand the concept of credits don't you, child?"

"I suppose so." She swayed closer like a wary cat and sat opposite the volus at the table.

"There is no '_suppose_' about it. You either understand money or others take it from you."

"I see."

"I doubt it. If you did you wouldn't be on this scrap heap of a barge."

"True." The human chuckled quietly towards her lap. "But what are you doing on this '_scrap heap of a barge'_?

"Aren't you already finding that answer of somebody else?"

She looked up, her mouth open to answer, before her eyes realized the volus was no longer at his seat. Looking around the quiet room she painfully realized there was nobody there.

_Stupid, stupid, stupid_, the young woman cursed her mind, _if you hadn't of been so eager to talk to dead people maybe the live ones upstairs would have accepted you. Do you never learn?_

"There you are!" Oriel curtsied across the other side of the table before pulling a chair delicately towards her and seating herself. "Where are the men folk when you need your chair pulled I ask."

"Huh?"

"My chair. So I may be seated properly like the lady I am." The asari watched her companion with an eye for detail. "Something's the matter. You don't seem your secretively cheerful self."

"I'm fine."

"Really." The blue woman raised an eyebrow. "Hun hasn't been boring you with his Financial year calculations and what not, has he?"

"No."

"The Engineer then?" Oriels face suddenly burst into a satire of joy. "I think he rather fancies you."

"I doubt that."

"Oh I can tell. It's the way he looks at you."

"Like a predator?"

"Yes like a- no, no. Well maybe he was but, he likes you." The asari clapped her hands together with glee. "I bet you are worried about what to say to him. I see how quiet you are."

"No I'm-"

"Nonsense. Of course I'll help you prepare for your next encoun-"

"NO!" Both parties seemed taken aback by the human's uncharacteristic outburst. "Thank you very much Oriel, but, I am not interested in him."

"Oh, I see."

The pair fell into uncomfortable silence for what seemed an hour before the young human woman in took a deep breath of air for courage.

"Why are you here? On this ship? Floating from place to place?"

"You know that already." Oriel leaned closer over the table. "I am a collector of human artefacts."

"But, why? You're dead."

"Does it matter if I am alive or dead to wish to collect?"

"Yes."

"Well… you've got me there." The blue woman chuckled. "Perhaps there is something specific I have been trying to collect from both life and death but have never obtained."

"What's that?"

"Love."

"But…" The human struggled with her words, thinking back through their conversations from the beginning of the journey. "You've been in love many times."

"Yes. But I've never been loved."

"What about your Detective you were telling me about?"

"Venari? Oh, the story ends with my death."

"He killed you!?"

"No. I killed myself."

"But, why?"

"Because," Oriel wiped away the tears, which escaped her downcast eyes, before looking up into those of her apprehensive companion. "He hated me."


	3. Chapter 3 Hun

**Chapter 3 Hun**

"Oriel, I…"

"Do not worry about me." Oriel waved a graceful hand and smiled though her eyes were still clouded with tears. "My desire was never my destiny. You however, thank the goddess you are still young and human. Human's are so easy to be loved and love."

"I think it's more of a species obsession." She smiled weakly and began to fumble her fingers in a clenched embrace.

"Nonsense. You are… unique in your social abilities." The asari suddenly leaned in close, biting her bottom lip delicately. "You could attract a lover easily if you tried a little. Those clothes would have to go for a start, and your hair leaves much to be desired. I suppose there is nothing but drastic surgery we could do about your … assets but there are other means. Have you ever worn a… what are they called… wonder bra?"

"I… er…"

"Of course you haven't. I can see that naïve disposition in your eyes. Some men go wild for that strain of innocents, normally the powerful ones. Do you have an issue with being controlled?"

"Uh… I really don't think…"

"Nonsense. With a little training I'm sure we could make a respectable woman out of you." The blue woman chuckled daintily into a soft azure palm.

"Oriel, are you… are you making fun out of me?" She hunched back, drawing into herself, eyes downcast.

Oriel paused, letting her eyes wandered over the sunken form, realizing she had perhaps taken a step to far with the small human. Reaching forward the asari wrapped her fingers around the woman's hand leaving a gentle wake of electricity on the human's skin.

Looking up slowly in response, to the ghostly sensation, she saw the look of sincere apology in the asari's clear eyes and allowed her lips to upturn in a placid gesture of acceptance.

"Never do anything you do not desire, young one." Oriel sighed. "But sometimes we all need to step out of the skin we feel comfortable in or we will never experience the Galaxy we are apart of. That is a sad way to die."

Looking up at the asari with a perplexed understanding she nodded accepting the advice given and waited expectantly as the alien retracted her hand and stood. Circling the table, with a demeanour possessed of calm, solidarity and beauty, Oriel paused her graceful stride in order to tease a fingertip along the crease of the woman's timid smile.

"You should smile more." The cerulean woman beamed, allowing the joy to flow from her eyes, then turned vanishing through the doorway.

____________________________________

She awoke groggily; her cheek plastered to the sticky table, and pushed herself back into her chair wincing briefly at the strain in her back and neck. It had been some hours since Oriel had left her alone in the permanently twilight mess hall. The orange glow over the table had begun to flicker; which was what had finally awoken her or perhaps it was because the humming that had swarmed her senses, and caused her to drift into a peaceful sleep, had averted.

For a brief time she had thought the humming sound to be musical, almost feminine, and a feeling of fingers running through her dishevelled mane had only caused the sensation of another's presence to persist. As the young woman looked around the room, with bleary eyes, rubbing the back of her tense neck with a tired appendage she could see the room lacking in any other souls. The sound and sensation had passed anyway; perhaps her visitor had only stopped in passing though the presence had left the human with an unconscious sense of familiarity.

Shaking her head, possibly to dislodge the air pockets lodged in her ears, the woman stood popping her back with a long stretch and halted a yawn with her palm before manoeuvring her waking form from the dull room. As she moved into the hallway the lights flickered on, in response to her movement, causing her to groan as bright white bombarded her unaccustomed eyes and shot an uncomfortable throbbing through her temples. Creasing her eyes, and shielding them with an over turned hand, the young human continued her way back to the bunkroom.

As she entered the now vacant area more lights illuminated stunning her to the spot as her eyes washed over the place she had lived for some weeks. It looked different in the light, almost liveable, she noted something green clinging to the wall and brushed a thumb against it. It was spongy, mould like but with the texture of wet seaweed.

"I wouldn't eat that, earth clan."

"Hun?" She pivoted around to the voice and furrowed her brow in confusion.

"A friendly warning." The volus remained fixed in the corner of the room, hidden lightly by shadow as if he would vanish under too much light. "Kekvich weed. When it gets big enough it'll make spores and implant its seeds into whatever it comes into contact with."

"Huh? Is it deadly?"

"Depends."

"On?"

"If you get treated."

Looking down at her hands the human began rubbing them viciously against her thighs, eager to get rid of the plants microscopic presence.

"It wont hurt you at this stage, earth clan." Hun shook his head and huffed a sound that almost sounded like laughter. "Unless you eat it."

"I won't." The young woman looked back at her reddened hands before glancing at the plant and then back to the volus. "Have you… uh…"

"Have I what?" The volus folded his stubby arms and watched the woman with an unreadable look.

"You know… talk about things?"

"Talk about _something_, yes." He watched her scuttle nervously towards a lower bunk and deposit herself on the creaking mattress.

"Well… where would you like t-"

"Not me." Hun shook his head. "I am here to talk about you."

"Me?" She squeaked, shocked at the declaration, and coughed timidly into a lightly clenched fist. "Why would you want to talk about me, Hun? I mean you're the … um… lost soul."

"Am I? Or do you just assume I want to be saved from something?"

"Well, most, in my experience, need to let go of something until they can… move on." She smiled weakly. "What reason is there to linger in a place like this?"

"So you think it's your right to save us?"

"I-uh… no I'm just … here and can I suppose."

"You 'can' you 'suppose'? Not very convincing, earth clan. Just because I can by stocks in Devlon industries doesn't mean I should. Their credits report this year was abysmal."

"Um… you can buy stocks? As a…" She paused at the look he was giving her, something a kin to a death threat and trapped wind. "Yes ... I'm sure you could find away."

"Are you done changing the subject, earth clan?" Hun titled his head to the side and waited for her reluctant nod of submission before continuing. "You cannot save us all. Some of us have no legitimate reasoning. Perhaps we like it here doing whatever interests us. Do you know why your little talk didn't work on Oriel?"

"I-uh… she …"

"Don't make excuses." He hushed the woman back into silence. "Oriel is living more now than she ever did in life. She has a passion and all the time in the world to dedicate to it. Why would she want to leave that behind? Why would she want to leave those she knows now in more detail than those she knew in life? Why should she not be allowed this chance?"

"Hun are yo-"

"Quiet I am not finished." The volus growled before shuffling uneasily. "You cannot _save_ her and you cannot save me."

Now staring firmly at her hands planted stoically on her knees she winced as every word replayed in her mind. It frightened the young woman that the volus was making sense, even if she could find fault in some of his arguments, there was no come backs that sprang to mind.

"I-I suppose you're right." She sighed a whisper of words.

"'Suppose'" He shook his head. "That summaries your problem in one word, earth clan. You suppose I am right, you suppose you are right, you suppose what you say and do rather than putting your whole self into it. How do you expect to save anyone when you cannot even save yourself?"

Looking up she opened her mouth to question this last statement by the volus but closed it again as she watched him move away from his corner. Within a few steps he settled abruptly by the pile of dirty rags, occasionally snoring, on the floor and pointed a stubby arm at the mass.

"What do you _suppose_ this is?"

"I-uh… its nothing." A sudden pang of fear rose up in her throat like the acidic taste of bile.

"Then lift it up and look."

"No that's-"

"Look at it, earth clan!"

"NO!"

"You're shaking."

"I'm fine."

"What are you afraid of?"

"I'm not afraid."

"Then look at it if you hold no fear."

"I don't want to."

"Why?"

"Because I do not want to."

"I'm giving you a chance here, earth clan." Hun sighed. "A chance to save yourself."

"I don't see how looking under a pile of rags is going to help me." She laughed nervously.

"Then do it."

"No."

"LOOK!" He barked severely.

"N-I-I…" She stuttered taken aback by the volus' order. "I-I-I can't.

"Yes, you can." He nodded then spoke softer. "I am here with you."

Dipping her head in silent acknowledgment the young woman stood cradling her hands and took a pain-staking step forward. With every inch she came closer she shook increasingly violently at the proximity between herself and that of the pile. The stench of death that reeked from the mass made her want to run away and gag but Hun's steady gaze kept her moving on until finally the toe of her shoe lightly bumped a browned clothe.

"You are almost there." He reassured.

Taking a deep breath the human woman closed her eyes, steadying her form, and squatted beside the rags. It felt as if time was slowing down as her trembling hand shifted closer to tease a slice of fabric away from the pile uncovering what lay beneath like unwrapping a birthday present. As the pile began to shrink in size her nerves began to calm though the anticipation started a new surge of adrenaline to thud dully through her ears and bring a sense of heightened awareness.

It was at the final hurdle, the last pieces of clothe to remove, she was sure her heart would burst from her chest but instead the thrum beat stopped at the sight of a fragile hand. Now eager to discover whether its owner was alive and in need of assistance she ripped the cloth away to reveal the wrinkled form of an old woman naked to the world.

"M-Miss?" She queried the foetal body. "Miss, are you alright?"

The old woman neither responded or moved though the younger woman was reassured as she noted the rise of the others chest signalling life. Without hesitation she leaned closer and gently touched a wrinkled cheek gaining the response of the owner turning to face her.

"Are you hur-" She paused as an eerie familiarity struck her soul.

Those eyes, so sad and cold, penetrated her with their gaze. It was easy to become lost within them though what she saw in them she could not describe.

Blinking she released the breath she had been holding before inhaling deeply again as the vision in front of her changed suddenly from that of a hag to a child. A child she knew very well.

Tears flowed steadily from the child as it sobbed quietly, not sure what to do the human woman dropped to her knees and slid her hands under the small form pulling it up to her chest.

"Don't cry." She hushed the child cradled against her breast. "I'm here."

Closing her heavy lids, as she soothed her younger self, she took a deep breath feeling the warm sensation of her own salty tears breach the corners of her eyes and crawl down her cheek. Opening them once again the young woman was confronted by a sheet of glass and empty arms, though her chest felt warmer than it had in a long time.

As she breathed calmly and assessed her whereabouts the glass panel suddenly lifted with a mechanic hiss and a man moved into view. Checking the readings on a control panel besides the sleeper pod he nodded in satisfaction before offering his hand to the disorientated woman.

"This is your stop miss."


End file.
